I follow “Integrated Schools” as I feel they are doing the most important work—and there is a lot of important work. However one chooses to come at our problems we need to face racism and deal with it continually. They (IS) has a great book reading group. I have recently read some of the work by Linda Hammond-Darling and “Other People’s Children” by Lisa Delpit. Yours is a great question! Teachers will need to hear many different voices, recognize and honor differences in culture, know their own core subject matter, and how also to find from whom and where each unique person might best learn according to his/her interests. (Based on ideas in “The Universal Schoolhouse.) So much to juggle! I would include knowing about Sociocracy in order to hear everyone at repeating integrals and come to conclusions if not based on consensus, then on consent about how to move forward. Rinse and repeat. I would hope for future teachers to have the qualities and skills to educate community members and politicians, standing strong when needed.
I say YES, YES, YES, to Education Reform at all levels. We need to give up the old linear top down models of teaching and learning and go to the Holistic, systems-based curriculum. All your points are well supported and articulated. Thank you. I especially like the idea of teachers as Pied Pipers, leading their followers toward what I like to call "The Open Fields of Wonderment." Normally when I think of a Pied Piper nowadays, I imagine misinformed so-called leaders, leading their followers toward a cliff and pushing their constituents toward a dark abyss while they continue doing their "mischievous" deeds unimpeded. BUT, Pied Pipers can also lead us to the edge, where choices can be made, where all deep learning is possible. I think to get to this mode of learning and decision-making, we need to experience a personal inner shift in consciousness, one in which we can feel comfortable with uncertainty and "not knowing," --and a willingness to start from "Beginner's Mind." It's hard to admit that how we learned and how we taught in the past, no longer works. We see it in the dualities and divisions all around us. Check out Iain McGilchrist who has much to say about this in his new book The Matter with Things. He looks into questions like HOW do we pay attention, grow, and learn? At present, I think the questions we could ask are these: "Why does the old teaching/learning mindset no longer work? Where did we go wrong as a society and why are we still enslaved to that mindset? How can we change our thoughts and actions to find out what actually works. Recently I've been reading David Korten's book, Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth. I think this is great book for future teachers who are curious about the stories that have kept us locked in the old ways of being and doing. Yesterday at the annual Equinox Gathering with Fritjof Capra he recommended this article by Korten. I am now reading it as we speak. You can find "Ecological Civilization From Emergency to Emergence" at David Korten's website: https://davidkorten.org
I follow “Integrated Schools” as I feel they are doing the most important work—and there is a lot of important work. However one chooses to come at our problems we need to face racism and deal with it continually. They (IS) has a great book reading group. I have recently read some of the work by Linda Hammond-Darling and “Other People’s Children” by Lisa Delpit. Yours is a great question! Teachers will need to hear many different voices, recognize and honor differences in culture, know their own core subject matter, and how also to find from whom and where each unique person might best learn according to his/her interests. (Based on ideas in “The Universal Schoolhouse.) So much to juggle! I would include knowing about Sociocracy in order to hear everyone at repeating integrals and come to conclusions if not based on consensus, then on consent about how to move forward. Rinse and repeat. I would hope for future teachers to have the qualities and skills to educate community members and politicians, standing strong when needed.
I say YES, YES, YES, to Education Reform at all levels. We need to give up the old linear top down models of teaching and learning and go to the Holistic, systems-based curriculum. All your points are well supported and articulated. Thank you. I especially like the idea of teachers as Pied Pipers, leading their followers toward what I like to call "The Open Fields of Wonderment." Normally when I think of a Pied Piper nowadays, I imagine misinformed so-called leaders, leading their followers toward a cliff and pushing their constituents toward a dark abyss while they continue doing their "mischievous" deeds unimpeded. BUT, Pied Pipers can also lead us to the edge, where choices can be made, where all deep learning is possible. I think to get to this mode of learning and decision-making, we need to experience a personal inner shift in consciousness, one in which we can feel comfortable with uncertainty and "not knowing," --and a willingness to start from "Beginner's Mind." It's hard to admit that how we learned and how we taught in the past, no longer works. We see it in the dualities and divisions all around us. Check out Iain McGilchrist who has much to say about this in his new book The Matter with Things. He looks into questions like HOW do we pay attention, grow, and learn? At present, I think the questions we could ask are these: "Why does the old teaching/learning mindset no longer work? Where did we go wrong as a society and why are we still enslaved to that mindset? How can we change our thoughts and actions to find out what actually works. Recently I've been reading David Korten's book, Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth. I think this is great book for future teachers who are curious about the stories that have kept us locked in the old ways of being and doing. Yesterday at the annual Equinox Gathering with Fritjof Capra he recommended this article by Korten. I am now reading it as we speak. You can find "Ecological Civilization From Emergency to Emergence" at David Korten's website: https://davidkorten.org